Strange Occurences
by DragonGolem
Summary: What would happen if a strange ailment was afflicting the key players in Nerima? Who would solve the puzzle of the mysterious affliction? Ranma has his work cut out for him in a story that involves using his least used muscle, his brain. Ranma & Ukyou
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ and I never pretended that I did.

Author's Notes: This is the beginning of a strange project. It came to mind one day literally by accident and I decided to run with it. The story will be a little dark just to warn you. Without any further ado, let's get this show on the road!

Strange Occurences

Epilogue

The day began as it usually did with my foot in mouth disease kicking in at breakfast. Akane's cooking was actually edible today, but months of conditioning to expect bad food caused me to react before the actual taste even hit.

"Good lord! Ya tryin' to poison me?" I had shouted at the top of my lungs, then the taste hit. It actually was bad, but only bad. Not the kind of food that should be sealed in a biohazard container. I knew what was coming and I was secretly glad I deserved it this time. Instead of the usual mallet through the ceiling or a table to the cranium, she cried. It was so strange to see and instead of the reaction, I had tried to go for, which was soothing and understanding, I exploded in a shower of words.

"Aw c'mon 'kane I'm so so sorry! Please please forgive me 'k? I didn't mean ta make ya cry!" it was pathetic, really. I knew it was the wrong tactic, but this isn't a fight and my people skills suck. She stared at me with stricken eyes and it hurt worse then a thousand mallets. I wasn't really registering what anyone else was saying, they simply weren't important right now. Finally, a soft hand on my shoulder got my attention and I was face to face with Kasumi. Even she looked like she was about to cry, but more from anger. Anger on Kasumi's face is somehow even more frightening then Herb and Saffron combined.

"Ranma-kun. She has been up since three o'clock this morning to get it just right and you dare tear her down? I am truly sorry, but you are not welcome at my table anymore. I haven't the authority to send you out, but I can tell you that I won't cook for you anymore." And with that, she turned around and stormed off, shredding her favorite apron in her surprisingly strong hands. This day could get worse, I'm not as naïve as to believe that was the worst the Kami had to offer. Nabiki was glaring daggers at me and for once, I knew I deserved every one of those sharp stares. She would never yell at me or even lose her cool, but retribution would be swift. They actually think they can hurt me, but I'm already hurting. I have slain a god for the girl who holds my heart, but it never seemed to matter. She had spurned me so often that I began feeling like a kicked dog and today she makes me breakfast. She actually tried and I did something wrong. I looked back to Akane and blinked in surprise. Her tears were still flowing, but she seemed to be smirking behind her hand. Somehow, even that didn't surprise me.

"If this is what your son is truly like, then the engagement is off Saotome." Tendo-san said to Pops. The fat bastard looked really shocked and it actually made me happy to see that. Waterworks canceling the engagement was a big shock, but it did make me feel better. How was I supposed to marry someone who never believed me? It was strange, but none of it was bothering me. None of this even felt real, but I could tell it was. The food tasted bad, I could hear everyone's voices with the inflections that identified them. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but this couldn't be an illusion or even a potion. Pops was glaring at me, but what else is new?

"Boy! For this disgrace you can sleep outside until you come to your senses!" he had roared. Well, that was fine by me. They expected me to be cowed, to beg and plead for mercy, but they all forgot something. My name means Wild Horse and the "Wild" part is in there for a reason. No one tries to chain me down and it was time they realized that.

"Hey cool. If ya need me ya know where to find me." I fired back at them as I went to get my belongings before grinning. "Well, maybe ya know and maybe ya don't." I didn't even turn around to see what my effect on them was, but judging by the way their auras read, I think I shocked them. My stuff was always ready to go. The boxes full of things I got while I was here was just that, things. My important possessions were in my backpack. I should thank Mousse for the Hidden Weapons technique I sort of pilfered off of him. As a result of my creative learning, my pack held many times the stuff it used to hold. Without even turning around I knew someone was behind me. I would know her even with my eyes closed. She was the source of so much pain and so little pleasure, Akane.

"I knew you'd run away, like a coward." she said. Coward? I wasn't the one standing with one foot in the door and about ready to bolt, but I kept my peace.

"How'd ya do it?" I asked as I arranged things in my bag.

"Do what?" she inquired with that innocent tone that set my teeth on edge.

"Nabiki can do it better then you, but what I meant to say is this. How did you get them to hate me like that? That was way outta character for Kasumi. Even Nabiki looked like she wasn't all there. Though the parents seemed okay. They act stupid most of the time anyway." I could tell I hit a nerve when her battle aura spiked. What was driving her even crazier was that I was ignoring her. Living with Nabiki has benefits. Such as stringing a person along for more information.

"Blame Shampoo for that if you want. The dumb bimbo shouldn't leave out mind-altering drugs like that." The little bitch was so smug about casually drugging her entire family! The nerve of her! It would serve her right if I pounded her face, but decided not to. The camera in my room would send the feed right to Nabiki. Suddenly it hit me and I almost laughed, but I kept my composure. Akane isn't the only actor around here.

"What? C-c-cat got your tongue?" That crack about my "fear" was despicable. If they knew that I actually mastered it several months ago they'd freak. The macho chick always accused me of being a pervert, but a real pervert accuses others of what they're thinking. All those times in the Neko-ken were kind of fun, but I'm not feeling playful.

"Meow." I said over my shoulder. Apparently that girl hadn't neglected her speed training like I thought because she was gone faster then the wind. Time waits for no man. I decided not to go disappearing into thin air and went downstairs through the gauntlet. The looks of scorn and derision I was greeted with made me seethe inwardly, not at the victims, but at the bitch responsible. She was smirking at me as she passed me my shoes. Just before walking out I had one last thing to say to her.

"I'll have my day so enjoy yours." and stepped out into the bright Nerima sunshine. Here I was with nowhere to go. At least I didn't have to worry about being late. The ladle lady actually saw me before she hit me, but hit me she did. I think I almost gave the poor woman heart failure, but I managed to smile and calm her down. I reminded her that this is Nerima. That went a long way to explaining things.

The day just seemed to be getting better and better. The water drying on my body actually felt somehow good. I saw Ucchan's coming into view and decided to get something to eat. No Akane equals no Mallet-sama to the outer reaches of Tokyo. I used to feel guilty about the free meals I would get off of her, but in the end it came down to one thing. It was her choice to feed me and I wasn't forcing her. Pops was an idiot for all the things he did, but what he did to Ucchan was one of the worst. I try to make reparation, but she won't hear of it. Maybe if I did she'd leave. That's not a good thought either because she's the only friend left from my childhood. The honorless bastard Ryoga doesn't count.

The sign on the door said "Closed", which kind of surprised me. It was Sunday, there was no school, and she wasn't open. My instincts began kicking in and I tested the door, but it was locked. I considered a number of loud ways to open it, but decided to test my lock picking skills instead. The lock was hardly great, but since a lot of the people around here use brute force, buying an expensive lock just means more money to replace it. Silently I let myself into the restaurant , my nostrils picking up a stale aroma. It smelled like sweat and depression, a scent I'm familiar with, but this was Ucchan. The girl was always cheerful and smiling, but something tells me that may have changed. The door was pushed shut without a sound as I prowled around looking for clues. Her huge battle spatula wasn't hung on the wall, but that wasn't what caught my eye. What I did notice was a rather large knife was lying on the floor in a pool of blood. I followed the blood splatter trail from the kitchen to the private use stairs, a foot print was in the blood on the bottom step and my heart caught in my throat. I decided to say screw stealth and I barreled up the stairs to find her. My panic threatened to overwhelm me, but I kept it down. Her door was wide open as I rushed into her living area, more blood saturated the carpet, but the trail led me into the bathroom. The shower was running. Now that would normally stop me, but this was not a normal time. What I found inside brought tears to my eyes. Ucchan was lying in the bathtub, slashes ran up her arms in a deliberate pattern, the white t-shirt she was wearing was soaked through and an absent guess was that she slept in it. I dropped to my knees beside the tub and stared as the water washed over her face. The smart thing would have been to call the police, but when do I things logically? I scooped her up out of the tub, triggering the reversion of my curse, and carried her into the living room, laying her on the sofa. The grief was washing over me in waves, I pressed my ear to her chest and prayed she was alive. Now whoever says the great Kami doesn't listen will get a fist down their throat from me. Beating weakly in her chest was her heart.

When you get injured as much as I do, ya learn a thing or two about first-aid. Since I lived with Kasumi and visited Doctor Tofu, combine that with an eidetic memory, I can do a job to make an ER proud. Her wounded arms were bandaged carefully and I had dried her off. I nearly had a coronary when she stirred in her sleep. Here's hoping that she doesn't realize she's wearing a different shirt, but it had to be done. While she slept, I decided to find answers to what happened. This was freaking me out. What could make a normally cheerful girl try to commit suicide? Did her dad disown her? The more the ideas wound through my head the more I wanted to smash a few skulls, but restrained myself. I found my first piece of evidence on the counter downstairs. It looked like one of Kasumi's Tupperware dishes with some food still left inside. The food smelled a little bad, but looked fresh. This wasn't enough of a clue. The eldest Tendo daughter loved feeding people so this didn't help until I realized what it was. It was the same crap from breakfast! Why would Ucchan eat something Akane made? The answer was partially hidden under the dish. It was a note in Kasumi's handwriting.

"Dear Ukyou-chan,

I know my sister, Akane, has somewhat of a problem cooking, but she would appreciate genuine help with it. She worked very hard on this dish and I hope you enjoy it. Constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated.

Kasumi"

Kasumi may be quiet around the house, but when she writes a letter ya better expect to be there a few hours reading it. Even a note turns into an essay. This was a strange case. What did Akane do to the food to cause such bizarre results? She mentioned Amazon ingredients, but this must have been done with Cologne knowing. No, scratch that. If Cologne had known about this she would have put her foot down. I personally suspect that the "Obstacles are for killing" clause has never really been used. Hold on a minute. The paper feels a little oily and the smell is off. Dammit! I can't reach the kitchen fast enough to throw the note away. Doctors wash their hands for fifteen minutes and scrub thoroughly, but I put them to shame. My arms were red and sore from using a scouring pad. I sealed the bag and placed it safely under the kitchen counter with a sigh of relief. Forget what I said about not being smart. This blue-eyed boy is starting to believe he's getting smarter by the minute. A low moan comes from upstairs and I practically fly up the stairs to see her. My "cute fiancée" was waking up as I walked in the room. She seemed to be pretty confused about the bandages.

"Ranchan? What are ya doing here, sugar?" she asked blearily.

"Want the truth or ya want me to make something up?" I asked her. She really didn't want to hear the truth.

"The truth please. Why am I in my nightshirt with bandages on my arms? I gotta open the shop." She almost pleaded, but I could hear the weakness in her voice.

"It's already after one o'clock. It was before noon when I saw your shop wasn't open and got worried. I picked the lock and decided to investigate." This was where I faltered "I saw ya in the shower with your wrists slashed. Y-you were so still. You looked dead and I took ya out of the shower. I found out you were alive and bandaged your arms." The girl was staring at her arms in surprise but I could see she was slowly remembering. I was sure she would burst into tears first, but I guess I surprised us both when I started sobbing. Okay, it's not in my character to do that, but I found myself sitting beside her and hugging her as tightly as I dared. She seemed to stiffen up and I thought I was gonna get hit, but she shocked me by holding me, rocking me back and forth.

"S'ok Ranchan, it's ok. I'm alive and ya did a great job patching me up. Whatever else can wait, so just relax." She was stroking my hair so soothingly that before I knew it I fell asleep almost in her lap. What was running through my mind as I went to sleep was that I was dead set on finding out what was happening in Nerima.

End

Author's Notes: Yes this story is dark. I know this isn't the kind of story I usually write, but as I said before, it's been in my head for a while now. I'm debating about keeping the first person feel, but it feels right for this kind of story. Please read and review, k? Ja ne!


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½.

Author's Notes: Oh yeah, this is the first chapter of what promises to be a rewarding story. I enjoy reading mysteries and I never could quite get the handle of writing them so this will be practice. Please be kind. Also, sorry about confusing the words prologue and epilogue. Never did that before. Oh well, on with the show!

Strange Occurrences

Chapter 1

I woke up sometime around dinnertime. A Saotome's stomach is a wonderful thing. It allows me to tell what time it is based around mealtimes. My bleary eyes looked for Pops, but the scenery wasn't familiar. Wait, I was in Ucchan's living room and a comforting presence was holding me. I could smell the faint antiseptic smell from when I bandaged her arms. Seeing my best friend lying in the tub like that had been burned into my brain. Part of me wanted to cry again, but I held it in. This much crying isn't in my character at all. A soft voice brought my attention back to the present.

"Sleep well, Ranchan?" Ucchan asked. Strangely enough, I did. No nightmares, no pops waking me up with a fling into the koi pond, none of it. Maybe I did need a break from the Tendo house.

"Slept great. Uhm…I'm kinda hungry." I could feel my cheeks heat up as my stomach growled in annoyance over a lack of food. I haven't even had lunch yet! Now I felt like a heel. She almost dies and I say how hungry I am. That's pretty low in my opinion. Her laughter, however, shook me loose from another destructive train of thought.

"You and your stomach! Fine, I'll go rustle up some food." She shifted against me and I realized where my face was. How she hid those behind a simple bandage was beyond me. I moved away to let her get up, but she didn't even get up from the couch; she just seemed to tilt off and fall. Good thing my reflexes are so good, ne? She looked so pale and tired when I got her situated.

"I got a better idea. Let me do the cooking." I smiled. She smiled wanly at me before tucking her legs under herself. I found a blanket and tucked her in, making sure she was comfortable. Ucchan was so pretty when she smiled. Finding my way back downstairs after a smile like that, combined with my relief, and with a healthy dose of hunger, made me wanna cook my best. Sure, I ain't a world-class cook like Kasumi, Shampoo, or Ucchan, but my food won't kill ya. As I set out the ingredients, my mind was plagued by thoughts. What if I hadn't been here in time? Why would Akane do this? I couldn't make okonomiyaki, but I do have a secret weapon. My Pops and I had traveled to America when I was eight years old. There was old master there that everyone referred to as either Mr. Miyagi or Miyagi-san. He was quite a guy and I really hated to leave him, but there were other considerations I guess. While I was there, however, I did under the table work at a local restaurant. It was there that I learned how to make an American hamburger. When I had the burger frying, I began making piecrust and working on milk shakes. Saotome Ranma, short order cook. A sound from behind made me turn quickly, but it was only Ucchan. She was clutching the blanket around herself, wobbling as she struggled to walk.

"What're ya doin'? I told ya I'd cook." I said to her as I helped her onto a stool.

"Hey, I'm not made out of glass." She protested before she sniffed the air. "Mmm…That smells great. Whatcha makin'?" she asked me. I smiled at her.

"It's a surprise." Was my response before I quickly ran to check on the hamburgers. The reason why I wanted to be careful was is because of what usually happens. We burn the burgers. Funny, almost sounds like an analogy to life. Uhm… I'm not gonna worry about it right now. The pie still has some time left in the oven, but the main part of the meal was ready. She stared at the food in front of her as if it was some new opponent. Is this how I look at Akane's cooking? When I don't hesitate to bite into mine does she decide to eat hers. I knew I could cook a great hamburger, but the sounds of ecstasy coming from her direction made me a little uncomfortable. Was she just doing that to make me feel better?

"Ya like it?" I asked her. My worry actually dampening my appetite slightly. She took some time to swallow before smiling at me. There were even more butterflies in my stomach.

"It's great Ranchan." She said and I could tell she meant it. There were tears in her eyes, which left me thinking that my cooking couldn't be **that** good. Apparently, she's a mind reader as well.

"It's ok, sugar. I'm just thinking about the fact that I haven't really had anyone cook for me, just me, since I left home." I couldn't say anything to that statement, but at least I didn't panic. What changed? It must have something to do with the pretty girl sitting next to me at the counter. It was a lot of fun, actually, to just sit there and talk. I hoped that none of my usual problems would show up right now. Now if wishes were horses…

"Where the Hell am I now?" Three guesses who that is and the first two don't count.

"In my restaurant and it's closed." Ucchan said to the human side of bacon. The Lost Boy had a funny look on his face as he looked at me, then looked at Ucchan. This couldn't be good. The last time he had that look was back in school when I stole the bread and he actually managed to hit me. There was something in his eyes that I didn't like. It reminded me almost of how Kasumi and Nabiki looked. A suspicion entered my mind. If this went down like at home, it was gonna hurt, but if he had a response like Ucchan's… Even though he's a jerk, he's my friend.

"Ranma you ignorant **bastard**." He spat out. Whoa, not screaming or yelling, but quietly threatening me. Life doesn't get easier does it?

"What did I do now?" I asked, genuinely curious. Maybe it was cuz I was sitting with Ucchan, maybe it was over what happened every time we fought before, or it was something entirely new that he cooked up.

"You had hamburgers and didn't save any for me!" he said in a faintly hurt tone. That was too weird. It went beyond the normal reaction of incredulity. Ucchan was torn between confusion and a sudden fit of the giggles. I was suddenly more wary than at anytime in my entire life. His gaze flashed to Ucchan as she laughed before he suddenly whipped several dozen bandannas at her, almost faster then even I could see! If it wasn't for the fact that I was alert for trouble, my best friend would have been diced Ucchan. My glare was anything but friendly. He assumed an aggressive stance (as if he knew any other) and prepared to attack.

"Stop laughing at me! All you freaks ever do is laugh at me! Akane's even laughin' at me! Life is Hell! Since I'm not a bad guy, I'll give you a gift! An escape from Hell! I'll kill you both!" He was actually frothing at the mouth by the time he was done. Time seemed to slow down as he shot forward with speed I never knew he possessed. His focus was sharp enough to cut diamonds and it showed in his technique. I was hard pressed to dodge let alone find an opening. Thank the Kami he had come here before finding some innocent person on the street. I managed to get in a lucky strike that connected solidly with his ribs before his fist found my stomach and slammed me into the wall. Not once had he used a ki attack even though his aura was fully manifested. It swirled and billowed like some kind of crazy fire, hypnotic and deadly. My limbs wouldn't move as he advanced towards me. Something caught his attention however, his deadly focus intent on the other person in the room. Ucchan was trying to heft her battle spatula, crying from the effort. I tried to shout out for her to get away, but the words caught in my throat. Ryoga's fist came back before suddenly shooting forward and impacting solidly with her spine, hurling her through the wall. His attention came back to me, lifeless and soulless, ready to destroy me, but my fury had woken up my cat. My little kitten was twining about my legs, panting with the need for release.

"You bastard. I made an allowance for you not bein' yourself n' all, but ya just hurt Ucchan! Get ready for the full might of the Neko-ken!" my voice turned into a roar as pent up hatred lent my body new power. Ryoga wasn't even scared of me in full cat mode, which made me pause. I could see tears trailing from his eyes. He was still in there and knew what he did. I snarled, a sound so full of hate that his soul flinched, but I was set on stopping him. When the improved Lost Boy launched himself at me again, I was ready. We exchanged blows at what seemed like double Amaguriken speed before my strategic pressure point shots locked up his body and caused him to tumble to the floor, where he sobbed quietly. Worry about him later, Ucchan needed me now. The hole in the wall led to the kitchen. Ucchan was actually standing up as if nothing had happened, I went to see how she was doing when she suddenly toppled backward into my arms. Her body was twitching spasmodically, her eyes were full of pain.

"Geez Ranchan… Your friends sure play rough, eh?" Brave girl was trying to find the humor in a humorless situation.

"I'll put ya to bed then find out what happened from Ryoga." I said.

"Don't forget to turn off the pie, sugar." She whispered before lapsing into unconsciousness. Well of course, I turned off the pie before carrying her up to bed.

Leaving her snuggled in her bed made me feel somehow better. At least I managed to heal some of her pain. People think that I can only use my chi to attack or heal myself. If they knew I could heal others then I might end up becoming the next Benny Hin. Scary thought. By the time I made it back downstairs, Ryoga had already gotten up and sat in a booth with his feet up. Yep, I pummeled him good.

"Well bacon bits? What's yer excuse **this** time?" I said as I slid in across from him. He looked over at me with haunted eyes and I instantly regretted my teasing. Maybe he saw it because he didn't seem to get angry.

"I made it to the Tendo dojo earlier today. Akane had made me lunch and I wondered where I could hide, but a look from her sister made me sit down." A sister huh?

"Who, Nabiki?" I asked him. He was truly shocked about something.

"Nope, it was..Kasumi." he said uncertainly.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Ryoga sighed before lapsing into silence again. His stomach growled and I figured the best way to flush the poison from his system was with some good food. He seemed surprised when I began flipping hamburgers, but kept his mouth shut. I slid a warm stack of them to him and he eyed them dubiously. Apparently deciding that my cooking couldn't be as bad as Akane's he ate. He didn't moan in pleasure, but he did consume them at warp speed.

"Man, that was actually good." He said before looking thoughtful. "What got to me was that I Akane didn't smell right. It smelled like the food she made me eat." I was kinda surprised, but not as surprised as I thought. The weird smell from the dish as well as the note came back to me. My eyes widened in horror.

"What's wrong man?" At least he was concerned.

"I-I ate some of that stuff…" was all I could stammer out. Ryoga suddenly looked even more concerned, but at least he wasn't running in terror. He became even more upset as he asked how Ucchan was doing. I told him that she just needed to sleep it off and that she would be okay with some rest. We brainstormed about who could have done this. Akane wasn't to blame or at least not totally. There had to be someone besides Akane involved. I was actually surprised when Ryoga came up with it first.

"Maybe we should talk to Kodachi?" he suggested. It seemed like as good an idea as any we came up with. With a sigh, I came to a conclusion.

"Fine, I'll go to the Kuno's, but you stay here with Ucchan." I left it unsaid what would happen if she were hurt any more then she already was. After leading the Lost Boy up to her living room, I made a mental check of everything I needed. I slipped on a pair of latex gloves that Ucchan keeps in a body fluids kit downstairs and put on the filtration mask before grabbing the bag containing the food container and the note. If Kodachi tried to poison me, at least this gear would by me some time. Before I reached the estate, I bought a large jacket and a pair of goggles. This was going to be some confrontation, my mind was awhirl with counter moves to the various things she could do. I no longer worried about her brother. Compared to her danger level, Kuno was a pansy. Using the inherent stealth of the cat, I was over the wall and dashing across the front lawn. Mr. Green Turtle didn't even bat an eye as I dashed past, but he knew I was there. My mission suddenly seemed in jeopardy. If he had been actively trying to kill me then I would have felt safe. Breaching the mansion was easy as well, but my eyes caught sight of something that made my blood run cold. It looked like Kodachi was tied to a chair; tight cord was wound above her chest and across her stomach, her arms pulled painfully behind her with a gag bisecting her face. Whoever did it hadn't even let her put on something other then flimsy nightclothes. Her head was lowered to her chest and each breath seemed to be an agony. She wasn't my friend, but she wasn't my enemy. The girl was crazy, but I seriously doubted even she would do this to win me over. I stepped carefully across the threshold; her positioning seemed deliberate so that meant a trap. The Umi-Sen-Ken would have been a good idea, but I may need that energy for what lay ahead. As I entered the room, it came to my attention that there were quite a few plants in a circle around the girl. I needed split second timing. It was the work of a few seconds to remove the cords binding her, her hands and feet were a deep purple color as if the oxygen were cut off for an extended period. Her eyes fluttered open, the same look that everyone else had just before they acted strange except there was one difference. The madness that was in her eyes was gone, for how long I didn't know, but this would make it easier. The gag was removed, causing her to cry out softly as it was peeled from the deep marks in her cheeks. She clung to me as best as she could while trying to tell me something, but her voice was gone from crying.

"Shhhh Kodachi-chan... Shhhh..." I tried to soothe her, even adding the "chan" to relax her, but if anything it made her more upset. I spent some of my chi to restore the little damages to her body but her face would still have a slight red mark and her hands trembled from the restored blood flow. With a restored hand she pointed at the flowers. What I saw made me freeze, each bouquet was made with black roses.

"Mwahahahaha! Foul Sorcerer Saotome! I have seen your arts now for myself even if it was to heal my twisted sister! Enjoy your last few moments on this planet! Kodachi, my dear sibling, enjoy your funeral flowers!" exclaimed an obviously more insane Kuno from somewhere above before the bouquets exploded, filling the room with noxious gas that quickly killed the real flowers in the room and even seemed to age the floor. I wrapped the underdressed gymnast in my jacket and, taking a deep breath of untainted air, clapped the mask on her face and took off running like the wind.

The run through the house was hell itself, I tried blasting out windows and walls, but discovered they were obviously reinforced. Must be from the previous times I was here. My only chance was to get to the door, but lack of oxygen was gradually affecting me. The girl in my arms had her eyes scrunched tight against the noxious gas. I prayed for a miracle and got one in an unlikely ally. The floor rumbled beneath me as I ran before exploding in a shower of flooring and concrete, a massive head poked out from the wreckage. It was the diabolical reptile of destruction (and I don't mean Godzilla), it was Mr. Green Turtle. He roared thunderously and I leapt down into the hole he made, gratefully gulping in oxygen. Kodachi squirmed slightly and I let her go, she stayed on her knees beside me.

"Thank you, Ranma-sama." she said after removing the mask. Even her voice was different! She sounded so much sweeter and kinder, but how long would this last? Didn't matter, I had to get her out of here.

"Don't thank me until we're outta this place." I managed to wheeze out, but my weakness was a sham now. I knew her brother was down here, but I wanted to lure him out. The roar of Kodachi's pet alligator cut off horribly with a squelch and a sound of ripping flesh. The head of the faithful pet skidded across the floor and came to a rest in a bloody heap. The girl beside me began to sob brokenly as she stroked the leathery face softly.

"That's what he gets for standing in the way of the Blue Demon of Furinkan High! No longer am I a mere mortal, but the dark gods to exact my vengeance bless me!" His speech disturbed me, but something in me snapped once more. This was Kodachi for crying out loud, but I hated seeing a girl cry. The rage gripped me so tightly I had to grab my head to keep it from exploding, or worse, escaping. My efforts weren't rewarded however, I felt like I was in the Neko-ken, but this made even my fierce cat run away crying. I felt the blood vessels burst in my eyes, turning the world to a red haze. The foolish kendoist stood there proudly with a different sword in his hands. This one looked like an oversized samurai sword, but with jagged and serrated edges. It was designed for killing with maximum pain. Just like Ryoga, he seemed to move with unnatural speed, except Kuno with the same enhancement seemed to disappear. He tried to slash me from behind, but whatever I was caught in was even faster then him. My elbow shot back and connected with his gut, I felt his ribs break and separate, but when I turned around to check, the bastard was still on his feet. His eyes filled with a maniacal light as he licked blood from the blade. I checked myself quickly before seeing Kodachi lying crumpled on the ground, gripping just under her elbow where her arm was severed. Several things happened all in that instant. He charged me, my anger reached critical mass, her crying ceased as she passed out from blood loss, and a sorrowful roar could be heard.

"Kuno! You will **die**! For your misdeeds I will make you **VANISH**!" the words leapt from my mouth, I tried to hold my power down but I couldn't. The insane scion realized what he had done, the induced madness fled his eyes and he looked to me for release, but my hand was already moving. I wanted to cry, but the heat of this being's hatred burned away all tears. I summoned a pure scarlet Mouko Takabisha before more gathered around my hand, seven in all, and fired off with killing force into the once proud, but foolish kendoist. The beast inside retreated as I rushed to Kodachi's side. I desperately tried to reattach her arm, but I couldn't even reattach one of my own so how could I do this?

"Kami-sama someone help me... Please help me! I can't do this alone..." I cried for her, there was no way in my weakened state that I could get her to a hospital. She shivered, her eyes looking up at me.

"Ran-ma-sama..." she said weakly.

"I'm here Kodachi-chan...hold on!" I tried to strengthen her again, but I couldn't. Why wouldn't it work now? Her free hand touched my face, trailing blood on my cheek but I didn't care.

"H-hold me...p-please? I'm frightened..." The poor girl sounded so small and so young, I held her up to my chest and cradled her. As she began to truly die, a strange power welled up. It purred and played like my Neko-ken, but this one was larger and vastly more powerful. It felt similar to the other beast, but more benevolent. I cried out to it to help me. I begged it and pleaded. A rumbling purr of agreement was all I got. My eyesight grew dark, but the one thing I saw before darkness claimed me was Kodachi with both arms.

End Chapter 1

Author's Note: Whee... This chapter was fun to write! What has happened to Ranma? Is it something he ate? I won't tell you, but just remember the match up is Ranma & Ukyou. No Kodachi pairing, k? Well, time to mosey on. Ja ne!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½.

Author's Note: Another day, another chapter. Once again I prepare an offering to all you loyal readers out there. I dedicate this chapter to Ranko Urameshi. She gave me my first review so if ya wanna blame anyone for me still writing, then blame her. This chapter may contain elements of humor, I can't write a straight drama fic without a bit of humor. Well without further ado, let's get on with the show!

Strange Occurrences

Chapter 2

I could barely remember what happened. What I did know was that I was lying on the floor next to someone. It was obviously a girl, judging by the aura. She seemed to have a well-ordered aura. I tried to open my eyes, but they seemed to be glued shut. My head felt heavy and it hurt badly. The girl beside me shifted slightly as if she were either aware I was waking up or waking up herself. Finally, I got my eyes to open and see who was there.

"Ranma-sama! You're awake!" Kodachi exclaimed softly, immediately starting to fuss over me. Something was nibbling at my mind as I stared at her arm. Why was there blood on her nightgown? Wait a minute, why was Mr. Green Turtle's head over in the corner? The answers seemed to slip out of my grasp when focused on, but when I stopped trying my mind was flooded with images. The girl leaned over me, running her hands along my body. I wanted to protest, but she had on a look of concentration as she examined me.

"Like what ya see?" I quipped. Much to my surprise she blushed practically down to her toes. "Am I gonna live doc?"

"H-hai. You're injuries don't appear too serious and with your normal rate of healing, should be gone soon." she replied. I was a bit stunned that she knew about my healing ability, but kept it under wraps. Kodachi was not a danger anymore.

"I think we should get out of here." I said. She readily agreed and helped me stand up. With a practiced scoop, I picked her up and leapt from the hole easily. Sasuke was opening windows to let the poison out. He came up to us and bowed low.

"Please forgive me for my part in this, Mistress." the short ninja said. She smiled shakily at him and patted his shoulder.

"It's ok. M-my brother Taki's body is down there. S-see that he is treated with respect." she said to the little guy. As soon as he was down the hole, she started crying and clung to me. She was so upset. I had to push aside my normal hesitation when it came to holding a girl. A martial artist I guess does more then protect the weak, they even comfort the weak.

"Kodachi-chan?" I asked her, unwilling to intrude on her grief, but I had to ask. She looked me in the eyes, tears falling. "I-I need to ask ya for a favor." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"What is it?" she asked and I proceeded to fill her in on why I was there. She agreed to help me, but only after she got dressed.

Later on we were in her lab. She was wearing a simple t-shirt and black slacks, an apron over her clothes. She also wore gloves, goggles, and a filtration much like I was wearing. She wanted to run a series of tests, beginning with the dish. Kodachi had asked me to help her by being another pair of hands. She scraped the food from the dish, subjecting it to various form of testing. This wasn't my area and I felt out of my depth. I asked her if I could use the phone and she nodded absently to me before going back to work. She was a great gymnast, but she seemed to have the soul of a scientist.

"Ucchan's." a male voice on the other end of the phone said.

"Hey Ryoga." I said to my apparently former rival. The Lost Boy never ceased to amaze me.

"Yo, where ya at?" I told bacon bits where I was and what had happened. He was quiet for so long after I got done talking that I thought he hung up until he sighed.

"Damn. It was a good idea too. Too bad 'bout Kuno though." I sighed. The more we learned the less we knew. Okay, so my mind works better then a lot of people think, but this was taxing me mentally. I had to keep the pedal to the mental metal for too long.

"How's Ucchan?" I asked, feeling a strange warmth in my chest.

"She's awake n' pissed off at ya for runnin' off. Oh...uh...hi Ukyou! It's Ranma. Yikes!" the exchange on the other end would have been funny if I wasn't so nervous.

"Ranchan you jackass!" Ucchan practically shouted into the phone making my ears ring.

"Hi Ucchan." I said, it sounded lame even to me.

"Oh Kami-sama are you alright? Kodachi didn't hurt you?" That dig about Kodachi sounded hollow and unreal. I went through the same story for Ucchan, by the end of it she felt as bad for Kodachi as I did. She said that Nabiki had stopped by earlier to see me. She appeared normal, but she didn't have my experience on it. The conversation was interrupted when Kodachi came out with the results. I said goodbye and promised to fill them in. Kodachi looked pale.

"What's up?" I asked. What I had mistaken for pale with grief was really pale with anger. She looked like if she could do the mallet technique it would have been as big as Nerima.

"The components are familiar. I make it a point to know my toxins, potions, and chemicals. This was made using herbs only obtainable in China." the girl said stiffly. The dangerous beast inside of me began to stretch and tried to assert control, but I pushed it back down. My head needed to be clear and rational. I used the Soul of Ice to fully bring myself under control, but little frayed edges of my anger kept stabbing me.

"Chinese herbs, huh? Great. I need to talk to Cologne." I managed to squeeze out through my anger.

"Be careful, please. I-I would like it if we parted as friends." I managed to smile, how did that word always make me feel better? I gave her a quick hug that seemed to surprise her before replying.

"Of course we can be friends." I said to her, she flung her arms around me and hugged me tight. She has a lot of power in that deceptively gentle looking frame. She gave me an antidote to the bizarre potion. She explained how it worked.

"Alright, the potion responds to a person by magnifying certain aspects. With Ryoga it magnified his childish behavior, making him throw tantrums over little things. With Ukyou, even I noticed the suicidal tendencies, this just magnified the problem. Akane is spiteful and can be cruel. Once again another prime candidate. Kasumi feels strongly for her family and you "hurting" her made her vicious. Nabiki was probably the one least affected. She was already strongly devoted to her family and making money so not much changed. I still don't know what it did to you, however." That was a lot of information to wrap my min around, but somehow I did. The antidote was a blessing and she was going to work on making even more of it. Since it was getting late, I went back to Ucchan's. The Amazons could wait until tomorrow.

It was past eight o'clock when I made it back to Ucchan's. I had enough antidote for only a couple of people, but it seemed like a good idea to dose everyone. My friends complained about the taste, but drank theirs down completely. I felt a little light-headed after drinking it, but shrugged it off as nothing. Ryoga was invited to sleep in the living room and so was I. Ucchan wasn't the kind of girl to invite me straight to her bedroom, more points in her favor. I decided to help out and decided to mop the floor downstairs, but a knock at the door stopped me. My senses stretched out and all I felt was Nabiki on the other side. When I opened the door, she practically flung herself at me. I thought it was an attack before I realized she was kissing me, passionately. Thanking the Kami that my normal luck **wasn't** with me, cuz usually it would have Ucchan walk down just in time to get an eyeful. The young mercenary was either in the throes of passion, potion, or out of blackmail material. Instincts kicked in and quickly eliminated the third option, but the fact still remained that she was grinding against me in apparent ecstasy and had her tongue halfway down my throat. I tried getting her to let go, but her normal ticklish spots only seemed to elicit greater responses. Pushing her off wasn't an option, in my panic I might hurt her. Think Saotome think! I heard someone coming down the steps and acted purely on reflex, diving behind the counter. Stupid move cuz now she was squirming happily under me. I'm a healthy male so of course this is provoking a response, but my bodily control is nearly absolute. If not, then I wouldn't stand a chance in Hell of maintaining my dignity.

"Yo Ranma. Time for bed. Uh... Ranma? Where ya at?" Trust the Lost Boy to actually find his way downstairs without help. I am the universe's whipping boy. Nabiki merely giggled under me. I looked over the counter, but ducked before he saw me. She giggled louder, apparently having herself a thrill at the idea of being caught. Finally he just turned around and walked back up the stairs. How did he find the stairs? Wonders never cease. This wonder had worn thin on me. She cooed at me.

"What's wrong Ranma-baby? Ya seem tense?" she teased. Desperate times all for desperate measures and I struck a pressure point to induce temporary paralysis. She was so surprised she didn't even cry out, not even when I poured antidote down her throat. She coughed a few times and muttered about the taste.

"How ya feelin' now Nabiki?" I asked her. The girl looked at me in mild disgust.

"I feel like crap and I don't think I wanna remember what I almost did." That was the only thing that made sense tonight, until she amended it. "Well, I would have enjoyed the memory except you were too terrified to make it fun." Strangely, even that made sense.

"They said ya stopped by earlier, was this the reason?" The girl shook her head repeatedly.

"No, I saw the feed from you room. You know it couldn't have been Akane alone, right?"

"You're preachin' to the choir. I've spent the entire afternoon lookin' for leads." She raised a skeptical eyebrow until I told her everything I did. Her look had gone from condescending to incredulous. I love doing that to people.

"The Amazons huh? Hmmm... Makes a twisted sort of sense actually. They did just return from a trip to China. I'll take to a few contacts so wait for my call before you make your grand entrance. Always a good idea to be well informed, right?" I had to admit she had a good point. I almost jumped out of my skin when she kissed me on the cheek. She laughed at my flustered look before strolling out the door. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

I woke up the next morning to a bizarre sight. Ryoga was actually where we left him and hadn't gotten lost! Now I knew the Apocalypse was coming, batten down the hatches for Armageddon. Oh what did I do to deserve this? Enough drama, I needed food and in large quantities and I could smell Ucchan cooking downstairs. Great! Oh well, it would be a good idea to feed Ryoga too, so I woke him up as well. He seemed kind of sulky as I led him downstairs. Ucchan looked as if she hadn't slept a wink. She seemed to be moving listlessly as she cooked breakfast.

"Hey Ucchan!" I tried to sound cheerful, but the look on her face made me wanna cry.

"Breakfast is almost ready. Cooking seems to be all I'm good at." She muttered half-heartedly. P – chan looked sullen, pouting as he waited for breakfast to be made. What struck me as odd was that he was clutching a blanket. If they were having a relapse then I needed to hurry over there right this minute. I apologized for running out on breakfast, but this took precedence over even my belly. She seemed so sad about it though that I gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead. What brought on that kiss I have no idea, but it felt good. She seemed to perk up somewhat, going from doom to merely gloom. I couldn't do that for Ryoga, but the food he was scarfing seemed to have him calmed down. It occurred to me briefly that the antidote should have worked, must be a delay on it. I took off across the rooftops to the Tendo Dojo to see Nabiki and find out what she learned. The only problem with my plan was what if I ran into Akane? It was a Sunday and the middle girl usually slept in late so I was guaranteed to find her in her room. The morning was a bit warm so it wasn't a surprise when I found her window to open. It was the matter of only seconds to get inside and over to her bed. I debated about any number of tactics I could use and fell upon one that worked on Akane. I blew lightly across the back of her neck, using the Soul of Ice to cool my breath. The poor girl almost jumped out of her skin when I did that and faced me in surprise.

"R-Ranma..." she sounded breathless. That could be because I just scared her silly, but my instincts kicked in a second too late. I found myself yanked into a passionate embrace, legs wrapped around my waist and Nabiki doing her humanoid octopus impression as she tried to suck out my insides. She had my arms pinned and was vigorously trying to get the job done, but I simply used the same pressure point. One problem, it's in a compromising spot and all I had was my nose. The pressure point was effective, but in a different way then I anticipated. Akane walked in, having heard her sister struggling with something and found us in the throes of whatever and came to a reasonable assumption that even I can't fault her for.

"Ranma no hentai!" she screamed just before malleting me into orbit and out of her sister's crushing grip. I would be getting no information from her! Why did she have a relapse too? Hers lasted the longest so it should have taken awhile to build up again, at least that's what it seemed to me. Air Akane had its advantages; I reached the Cat Cafe in a fraction of the time. The building seemed too quiet; no customers seemed to be inside either. All was peaceful, but then I heard a weird sound. It sounded like a song I heard once:

In the jungle

The mighty jungle

The lion sleeps tonight...

Ya know the song I'm talkin' about, right? Somehow that scared me. I bolted inside to the most improbable sight and I prayed this wasn't going to end like I thought it would. There was Shampoo, dressed like in full battle regalia, stalking Mousse with her bonborri in hand. The blind duck was dressed in one of Shampoo's dresses and somehow looking eerily good in it. Wait a minute, Shampoo was dressed as a man and Mousse was dressed as a girl. Maybe it should end like I pictured it. I took off to find the old ghoul because now I started to realize something; it couldn't have been them unless they did this to throw suspicion off of themselves. That would be the clever thing and it made me pause. Outside the old woman's room, I heard something strange. It sounded like she was crying. This was not a normal occurrence in Nerima for the elder to be crying. I knocked on the door.

"What is it Son-in-Law?" she asked. That made me jump, how did she know I was there? Maybe she could teach me that after we got through this.

"I need to speak with you, Revered Elder." who says I know nothin' about flattery? The old woman opened the door her eyes were puffy.

"Well come in." she stepped away from the door and hopped onto the bed. Her hands folded in her lap as she sat there. I sat down on the edge after she gestured for me to do so.

"Before we get to my problems, what's wrong?" If Nabiki knew I was smarter then she thought it would give her heart failure. The withered woman smiled slightly.

"I'm dying, Ranma. I have been for some time now." she smiled somewhat serenely.

"Whaddya mean? You're gonna be around when my first kid is born I bet." I joked, maybe she'd try living just so she figure out how to abduct the kid and bring it into the tribe.

"Please, Ranma." I winced; it was bad if she used my name. "I don't expect you to marry Shampoo. I have known for some time now that you would never be together, but I wanted her to learn of the outside world. When I am gone, take care of her as you would a sister. She thinks the world of you and if it weren't for laws she would have told you herself. Please guard my dear grandchild." This was so surreal, this potion running around and Cologne dying. Dammit, I needed to ask her. I held her hand, marveling at how small they were compared to my own. She smiled wryly.

"I'll do it. I promise, but if I'm to protect her then I need to know what's going on in Nerima." the old woman looked confused so I explained everything that has been happening. When I was finished, the seemingly weak and tired woman became Cologne, Elder of the Chinese Amazons and Matriarch.

"That is a forbidden potion. It is made only with the strictest of supervision if allowed at all. The potential for mayhem is too great." something seemed to occur to her. "Show me this antidote." I did as she asked. Merely a sniff told her what she needed to know. "It was made improperly." I was about to freak out!

"So Kodachi lied to me." I said through clenched teeth. The woman rapped me on the head with her cane.

"No she didn't. It will do as she said it would and removed the symptoms, for a few hours. Once it runs its course, the symptoms return strengthened." she looked at me with concern, but I didn't really acknowledge it. If it got worse then I needed to get back there immediately!

"Ryoga and Ucchan are in danger. Shampoo and Mousse are just cross-dressing so I doubt anything bad will happen to them." I said, the elder agreed with me on that assessment. She told me to go at once back to Ucchan's. I never flew across Nerima so fast in my life, two lives hung in the balance. Ucchan was suicidal and if Ryoga killed her himself then he was dead. Potion or not, I was ready for murder. I couldn't rein in the beast and I knew it would take something big to snap me out of it. Seeing Ucchan's in flames, surrounded by the fire department and ambulances, did just that.

End Chapter 2

Author's Notes: I suppose I should warn everyone, this won't be a long story. My first attempts at any new type of writing rarely are so thank you for reading. The last chapter is coming up next so stay tuned. All right true believers, tip your waitress and ja ne!


	4. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½.

Author's Notes: I'm glad I'm a writer who likes to finish a story rather then one that relies on reviewers to decide otherwise this project might be scrapped. I don't like feeling unwanted, but I will finish. I write because I like to and not because I have to so I hope at least someone enjoys this story. To those of you who have reviewed this rant isn't for you. I'm sorry to get upset. Let's get on with the show and remember to tip your waitress! (Said waitress cocks a gun) Erm…Maybe not.

Strange Occurrences

Chapter 3

The area outside of Ucchan's looked like a war zone. There were bodies flung everywhere, smoke obscured my vision, and panic was settling in for a long stay. As I strode towards ground zero of the disaster, I began making out shapes in the haze ahead. It looked like two people battling it out, judging by their auras they were both affected by the potion and they were holding nothing back. I was all set to jump ahead when a weak voice called to me.

"R-Ranchan…?" I knew that voice anywhere; it also helped there was only one person who'd call me that. My eyes fell on Ucchan; she lay on the sidewalk with her arm bent at a horrible angle. Blood was running from a gash in her forehead and her chest shuddered instead of rising and falling normally. I was beside her in an instant.

"Ucchan… What happened?" I bit down on my panic before I exploded in violence; she needed me to be levelheaded.

"A-Akane…came by…" she struggled to breath before continuing, despite my trying to shush her. "Ryoga was there… She ran a knife into his chest. No warning… They started fighting… I-I can't remember the rest… Wh-where did ya go Ranchan? I-I can't see you anymore! Don't leave me!" I tried everything I could think of, but she was going into shock fast. I once again called on the power inside me, pleading with the benevolent force that saved Kodachi. If it could save someone I barely cared about then it should be able to save Ucchan. I couldn't be gentle, if I was then the power would heal her arm wrong. I grabbed the arm and wrenched, she shrieked and bucked in pain, but what could I do? The power welled up inside of me, followed quickly by the beast. I had to wrestle the beast under control before laying my hands on her chest and thanking the Kami I had a good reason to do this. I can feel myself starting to ramble and clamp down on my own shock. A pure white glow envelopes me before spreading down into Ucchan, restoring her body completely. She looked up at me with big eyes as if I was some kind of angel before throwing her arms around me and sobbing.

"It's ok Ucchan…I'm here and I won't-" but what I was gonna say got cut off by a flying body that drove me away from her and into the ground. I pushed the massive form off me and stared in shock at Ryoga. The knife had been snapped off and the blade was partially buried in his chest, his face looked like raw hamburger and was swelling rapidly. The sheer amount of damage said that the person fighting him was incredibly strong. Once again, I acted before thinking and yanked the blade out causing the unconscious Lost Boy to hiss in pain. I'm getting a lot better with the healing aspect, healing the most critical of his injuries, but holding back so as not to completely drain myself. When my head whipped around to see the person walking through the smoke, my heart jumped up into my throat. It was Akane, with a bigger aura then I had ever seen. Her fury was creating a powerful fire aura that had burned her clothing; the only thing saving her modesty seemed to be flames clinging to her body. Her eyes were filled with hate.

"Stupid pig. Who said you could go to Ucchan, huh? You're **my** stupid pig. Bah! You, Ranma no Hentai, you're mine as well. I didn't say you could leave the house! After all I've done to you, ya leave me? Baka, I thought you liked pain." Then she laughed. I was thoroughly creeped out and in fear of her. She said it all in a singsong manner and seemed to be swaying, her hands curled into claws and swinging by her knees from being hunched over. Several officers arrived on the scene and drew their weapons on her, but she looked unconcerned. Her aura began swirling rapidly around her hands, gathering power.

"Put your hands up!" One of the geniuses ordered. I tried to rush forward and save them, but it was too late. I've been around enough to know that a swirling aura means an attack is forming.

"Happy to oblige ya stupid **boy**!" she called out gleefully, her hands raising up to chest level, pointing at them with her palms together and fingers spread into a cone formation. Her smile became a cruel smirk as they ordered her to put her hands up again. My feet didn't seem to want to move, I saw Ucchan lying off to the side of Akane out of the blast radius, one less worry for me. As I found the will to move, I knew I wasn't going to make it. A sound like a thousand gas burners coming on was heard and blue flames erupted in a cone towards the officers. They couldn't even cry out or shoot as they were totally consumed and reduced to ash. She had just killed innocent people, I couldn't let her get away with this, but it was Akane! I didn't want to kill her even if she was a bitch. Her eyes fell on Ucchan, but figured she was dead. Good thinking to play dead I suppose, except this just meant the pyro wanted to cremate the dead. As she gathered in her aura for another blast, I slammed into her from the side with enough force to stagger Ryoga. She bumped and skidded to a halt several yards away, but was on her feet in an instant. I had to remove my shirt quickly, the brief contact had ignited it and it was burning my skin.

"You have betrayed the martial artist's code by slaying the innocent. I'm sorry, but this can't go on." I was sad, truly sad. She was my first friend here, even though she retracted it that same night, but still it meant something. Ya can't live with someone for as long as I did without feeling **something** right? She just laughed at my speech.

"I am beyond the code. I am the greatest fighter in Nerima! See? I can do a trick that you can't. I've surrounded myself in flames!" if this had been any other time I would have said "Great job", but this wasn't one of those times. The beast wouldn't be held back anymore, I couldn't decide if this was a good thing or a bad thing. The first searing hot punch to the stomach quickly decided it. The beast tapped into the Soul of Ice, forming a swirling blizzard around my body. Her fire melted my ice, but lost a lot of burning potential. Now I knew why Akane had been acting so weird! The potion had affected her as well. It was the only way I could explain this. My beast was ready for battle, but I felt something hold me back. Overlaid on the crazy Akane, was the real Akane. She seemed to be trying to fight what was happening, I tried to reach out to her, but every attempt failed. The outward battle was impressive I'm sure. The two conflicting auras crashed off of one another, her fire blasting into my ice just as I froze her legs solid with an ice powered Mouko Takabisha. Her flame driven mallet crashed into my chest with unbelievable pain, but a frosty Katchu Tenshin Amaguriken forced the crazy bitch back. The mental struggle was unseen, but it outranked this fight easily.

"Akane!" I cried out to her, trying to get her to listen. She stared at me in confusion before her face cleared.

"Ranma..." Her voice sounded so weak. Her spirit was failing fast; if I couldn't figure a way out of this she was gone.

"Hold on! Ya gotta fight this!" I tried to boost her with some of my own power, but it just seemed to make her retreat more. It was so confusing! I was trying to save her but she wasn't grabbing the lifeline!

"Ranma...D-do you love me?" The question hit me harder then her evil self was doing.

"Of course I love you!" Maybe this was what she needed to come back. I did love her, but not the way the fathers would have liked.

"Not the way I love you..." She smiled at me, that smile that always made her so cute, but it made me wanna cry. Akane looked at me again, but with fire in her eyes.

"If you really love me then prove it!" her voice growing stronger. "Kill me before I hurt anyone else! Don't let others die because you want to save me! Save me from this by releasing my soul! Please Ranma!" I couldn't bear to hear her say this. As much as I tried to squirm away from it, she had a point. This had gone on long enough and she had killed a lot of people.

"A-Akane... I'm sorry 'bout this." Was the best I could manage with the tears flowing down my face. The battle outside had reached a lull, the evil bitch squaring off with my beast. It was time to rejoin the battle myself.

"Well...Not bad I guess, but still not good enough!" Her laughter hurt my ears. I had heard Akane laugh like that hundreds of times, but never with this much malice. I could feel my body hovering on the edge of exhaustion, but I couldn't stop now. My left arm hung uselessly at my side, broken in several places. Somehow Akane looked unharmed, the flames around her body turning a deep black.

"Time to end this! All my sorrow and all of my hate... I give it all to you! You never loved me! Feel the might of a woman scorned..." She brought her hands together for the final attack, the dark fire crackling hungrily. Just as she was about to release the attack, she stopped.

"No! What is this? I-I can't move!" I could see the overlay again, Akane was holding her body back with a visible effort. It was now or never. I said a prayer for her as my right arm came up.

"I can never forgive you for hurting my friends and taking away someone as close to me as family! For Akane I will destroy you! **VANISH**!" The crimson balls of energy rotated so quickly around my hand that they seemed to be a ring before seven orbs rocketed outward and shredded her body with tremendous force. Akane gave me a final smile in farewell before everything turned to darkness.

As I came to, I heard voices. They seemed to be discussing someone. Poor guy, whoever he is it sounds like he got hurt bad. Broken ribs, broken arm, second and third degree burns over the upper portion of his body and first degree on his legs. With a start I realized I smelled something medicinal. I was in a hospital and was lying on a hospital bed with someone holding my right hand. The hand is significant because I just realized whom the docs were talkin' about. They were referring to me.

"Open your eyes Ranchan... For me?" Ucchan pleaded softly, not realizing I was already awake. My eyes cracked open, I felt like they'd been glued shut. With a cry she hugged me, good thing it wasn't on the side that was burned.

"Hey..." My voice sounded rusty and weak, not good. I needed to be up and out of here. The cause of all this pain and suffering was still out there. My energies began focusing themselves on healing me. If the doctors saw each wound seal up as if they weren't there, someone would faint.

"How long was I out?" She looked down.

"Almost two weeks." The answer floored me. Two weeks... How much chaos had been caused since then?

"How're you n' Ryoga?" I knew Ucchan would be physically okay, but I had to move a little fast with the Lost Boy.

"They took him into surgery. The most extensive damage was to his face and head. They couldn't save his eye. A blow to the back of the head gave him mild brain damage." As if my day couldn't any more rosy, I find out my rival is an invalid. Why couldn't I solve this damn thing sooner? Didn't I take it serious enough? Another thought occurred to me.

"What about Kodachi?" Ucchan sighed; she hated this part most I could tell.

"Sasuke suddenly went crazy and trashed her lab, Kodachi came out of it with a few scratches, but her research is gone." When it rains it pours I guess. The nurse came in to tell Ucchan that visiting hours were over. I gripped her hand, praying for time to fix some of this. I needed time to grieve, time to rest, but life wasn't letting me. She looked at me curiously before I pulled her in for a kiss. This night was going to be the last night for either me or the bastard who did this. Ucchan seemed to understand what was going on, her tears fell on my face, or was it my own tears? We shared a last look as she left the room, before the nurse turned out my light. Time to fly. Justice may be slow, but vengeance can be swift as hell.

The city seemed so peaceful, but looks can be deceiving. Except in my case, I looked like I was worn out and felt that way as well. The only clothes left was my pants and even they were shredded along one leg. My first stop was to see Kodachi. Even if her notes were destroyed, she should remember some of what she learned. My thoughts were derailed by a small blur of perverted fun. This was not a good night for me to run into Happosai.

"Well, you sure look like hell." he commented. I tried to glare back at him, but it's not too intimidating coming from a walking corpse.

"What d'ya want?" I wasn't exactly gracious about asking.

"I wanna know what happened here! I can't pilfer any silky darlings or cop any feels due to the paranoia level around here!" He wanted to know what was going on? I gladly filled him in. He looked so outraged I thought he would burst into flames himself. He looked me over and hopped up to me. He struck a pressure point, I was too weak to stop him, but suddenly felt better.

"What happened?" This was something I coulda used!

"It is a pressure point for tricking the body into believing your vitality is restored. It will only last six hours and after that you will sleep until your energy restores properly." He puffed on his pipe while I pondered the implications. Six hours to find out what had happened before bedtime for who knows how long. I asked him to help me and he readily agreed. I ran back to the Nekohanten while he went to visit the Tendo dojo. The Cat Cafe was exactly how I remembered it at least. Shampoo and Mousse were back to normal and looking at each other in varying degrees of distress.

"What's goin' on?" I asked them. Shampoo gulped noisily before looking away from Mousse. Even the blind boy couldn't stand to look at the object of his desire. This would be funny except I was on a mission. Mousse noticed me and said something I'm sure he will regret.

"Saotome! This is all your fault!" I moved so fast that the blast of air from my approach almost blew him down.

"Don't you **DARE** blame this on me!" I roared into his face. Cologne came downstairs weakly and looked over at me.

"Ranma. Come with me." What could I do but follow her? I tried to help her up the stairs, but she wanted to do it alone. Something was about to happen I could feel it. We sat down on her bed again. The old woman looked even more ancient then ever.

"Shampoo will no longer pursue you. Under our laws, she has been defeated by Mousse and will wed him." That news would normally be a blessing but not in this instance. I waited for her to get on with it.

"There is something else I must tell you as well." She really didn't want to tell me this. I was growing impatient; the clock was ticking on this pressure point.

"Kasumi stopped by several weeks ago looking to borrow some spices. She wanted to try a Chinese dish, but lacked the proper seasonings. She is a sweet girl so I let her look through my spice rack." Here was where the bomb drops, my throat was already constricting. My mouth ready to deny it, but couldn't.

"I'm not sure if I am correct and I pray I am wrong, but I had some rare herbs and spices mixed with the mundane. Oh what have I done...?" The elder began crying. I can't stand it when a girl cries no matter what the age. I gave her an awkward hug, but she pushed me back.

"No time for that. Go and see what has happened. Please let me be wrong." I was about to say that Happosai was there, but my mouth snapped shut. Something was wrong with this picture. I couldn't sense a dying life force from Cologne, but I did sense the warped aura of someone afflicted. The window was open so I used it. My heart was hammering in my chest as I leapt towards the dojo. Whatever was going to happen would happen there. I landed softly in the backyard and crept upon the house. The door slid open easily and I stepped through, but something hit me in the face. The lights came on to reveal Happosai, dangling from a noose with a butcher knife in his chest. My brain was somewhere between total shut down and run, but I had to see this through to the conclusion. I found Kasumi tied to a chair, similar to how Kodachi had been and set about untying her before whoever killed Happi returned. My danger sense kicked into high gear, but the source of the danger was so unexpected that the knife got through my guard and pierced my lung. I danced out of range and removed the weapon, healing as I did so. I couldn't use too much. My brain settled on shut down as I beheld who got me. It was Kasumi.

"What's going on? I don't understand! Why are you doing this?" To say that I was surprised would be a gross understatement. Here was Kasumi, the sweetest girl on the planet who would cover you in bandages if she so much as slapped you, and she caused so much pain and suffering. She wasn't even recognizable. Her eyes were filled with a manic light and her fingers flexed cruelly. Something peeked out from her hair; a pair of tiny horns were on her head. My eyes shot over to the corner to confirm my suspicions and saw the box. I thought that damn thing was gone, but here it was. It had possessed Kasumi again and had decided to kill.

"Well, not bad little detective. I honestly didn't expect anyone to figure it out before you were all dead." The ogre gloated, warping Kasumi's voice into a demonic parody.

"I shoulda stopped ya sooner." I couldn't help but feel guilty. If I'd been just a little more observant then everything would have been all right. She seemed to sense my feelings and grinned wickedly.

"All those clues you had to follow. Some were real, but others were quite false. You didn't do half bad with what you had to work with. Humans can't see the victories when they have them, all they see are the failures. Since you found your way through my gauntlet, the only thing that remains is for you to help me. I see your potential for violence and malice. Join me and know the bliss of destruction." Oh yeah, I won't lie and say I didn't think about it, but I also remembered Akane. People died, real people not imaginary beings. People who I knew were alive are now dead and this thing wants to spit on their graves. I could almost feel Kasumi begging for release from the bonds holding her. It was beyond my power to free her body, but her soul would be released. The demon seemed shocked at what she saw; the boy was fully powered and ready to kill.

"It's time, Kasumi-chan. I'm sorry for what happened to you and I hope ya find peace in the next life." I almost smiled at seeing the look of fear, but banished the thoughts. The real Kasumi was no longer afraid and waited for freedom. My hand was glowing crimson, ready to strike. As I threw my hand forward, Ucchan ran into the room. How did she get here? I tried to shout but my voice wouldn't come. With terrifying speed, Kasumi's body snatched Ucchan and held her in front. I tried to stop the attack but the beast had other ideas. It poured even more power into the attack. My friend's terrified eyes bore into my soul as she was devoured by crimson light, exploding in a spray of crimson. What have I done? Ucchan... My best friend... The cute fiancée... No...

"**NOOOOOOOOOO!"**

"Ranchan? Wake up Ranchan!" The voice sounded better then anything I had ever heard before. Only one person called me Ranchan. I felt a pair of arms wrapped around me, holding me softly. My eyes opened to stare in surprise at the girl beside me. It was Ucchan, lying beside me in a thin white t-shirt, her face creased with worry. I was on Ucchan's bed, sore and exhausted, but not from fighting. It felt like the aftermath of one of Akane's dinners.

"U-Ucchan? Is that you?" I asked her. Still only half awake and seeing an impossibility will confuse anyone.

"Hai. I'm right here and don't worry, I'm sure you threw up the worst of it." At my confused expression she explained. I had been kicked out of the house this morning (that much was accurate), Akane had gloated over me leaving, but called to make sure he was ok. He made it to her restaurant where she had attempted to kill herself.

"I was tired of being constantly rejected. Then you came along and saved me. Even if it's not love... I still want to continue living." I stared at her in wonder. Everything I had been through was just a nightmare? A culinary disaster's fevered dream? It couldn't get much better then this I guess. I'm sure I surprised Ucchan when I dragged her in for a kiss. The girl eagerly returned the kiss. I wish I'd had my eyes open just to see if she was as happy as me, but something told me they should be open for other reasons...

At the Tendo house...

"I'm tellin' ya Happosai... It's all about planning! Manipulate a person here, induce madness there, and voila! Anything you want. Sure, I had to convince the kid that it was all a dream, but the results are worth it. Now I can do whatever I please here and Ranma will be out of my hair. Life sure is good, right Happosai?" says Kasumi to the small figure, her arm draped about his cold shoulders. She looks at him with a malicious gleam, the noose was good but sliding the knife in was better.

"All about planning..."

The End

Author's Notes: I changed the genre to Mystery/Horror because the ending gave me the creeps and I'm the writer! Oh well, I tried my hand at something serious and hopefully a little frightening. I'm not quite sure if how people will react to this, but I had fun. I hope you did as well! Happy trails! Ja ne!


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